Towel cabinet



iul zs, 1929.

F. M. STEINER TOWEL CABINET Original Filed Nov. 14, 1927 frzmmor FRANK/M JTE/NEI? ATToBp/EYJ Patented July 23, 1929.

Tang e OFFICE.

FRANK M. STEINER, 0F MINNEAPOLISQMINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO STEINER SALES COMPANY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

TOWEL CABINET.

Application filed November 14, 1927, Serial No. 233,175. Renewed June 7, 1929.

My invention relates to the stand type of cabinet or one adapted to rest upon the floor.

- operation is so simple that a careless or in experienced person would not be able to stretch the towel web in an improper manner and thereby prevent the cabinet from properly performing its function.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description. The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations heretofore described and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the attached drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is aperspective view partially in section showing the interior arrangement of my cabinet;

Figure 2 is a view showing the toweling in normal and wiping positions.

In the drawings 2 represents the rear wall of the cabinet, 3 the floor thereof having suitable supporting legs, 4 the side walls, 5 the top of the cabinet having preferably a suitable mirror 6, and 7 is a door preferably hinged at 8 to one of the-side walls and adapted to close the lower portion of the front of the cabinet, an opening 9 being provided between the top of this door and the mirror through which the person standing in r front of the cabinet may view and have access to the clean web of towel that is stretched in the rear of the opening 9. The door 7 when open exposes the lower portion of the cabinet and permits convenient access thereto. 10

is a partition having a. substantially horizontal lower portion, the forward edge of which terminates at the door 7 and forms a substantially flat rest or support Whereon the web of soiled towel is delivered in folds. The

partition 10 from the horizontal portionv thereof is carried upwardly to a point near the top of the cabinet and spaced therefrom and from the rear wall 2. This partition may be made of any suitable material, wood or metal as preferred, and adjacent its upper edge I provide a feed delivery roll 11 having preferably a roughened or sanded surface and over'this roll the clean web of towel 12 is stretched from the supply that is placed in the bottom of the cabinet under the partition 10 when the door 7 is opened. The partition 10 preferably is provided with a longitudinal opening 13 through which the attendant loading the cabinet may thrust one hand to grasp the end of the clean towel Web and raise it sufficiently to pass over the sanded roll 11 and when this has been done the web is stretched forwardly and downwardly toward the door of the cabinet. Preferably a tension device 1 1 is mounted adjacent the roll 11 and adapted to bear on the web of towel and press it downwardly on the surface of the roll, thereby preventingtheweb from sliding backwardly if released When it is first passed over the roll and also pressing it down on the roll with sufficient force to insure the revolution of the roll when the towel web is pulled forwardly face is mounted below the roll 11 in-front of the partition 10 and adjacent thereto and a tension device 16 is provided to press the web of soiled towel down on the roll 15 and hold it against premature sliding or movement thereon. This roll 15 has a sprocket wheel 17 on the outside of the cabinet and a belt 18 connects a sprocket 19 on the roll 11 with an idle wheel 20 that is mounted below the roll 15, this arrangement being for the purpose of 1 operating the rolls l1 and 15 in opposite directions. Then the roll 11 is revolved to feed the clean towel web forwardly toward the opening in the front of the cabinet, the

preferably provided with vertical slots 21 and a gravity roll 22 is mounted to slide vertically in these slots, and when the attendant stretchesthe towel .web from the roll 11 down to the roll -15 he will pass 'it under the take up or gravity roll 22 so that the tension or weight of this roll will have the effect of drawing the clean web of towel in a straight line from the roll 11 and hold this portion of the web where it can be conveniently seen and grasped by the userof the cabinet. When such user steps up to the cabinet he will reach through the opening ni'the front, grasp the towel web and draw it outwardly. to it using or wiping position, the opening being of'sufficient height or distance from the floor for the user to conveniently grasp the towel web. hen the web is pulled outwardly through the opening the roll 22will be raised in the guides or slots 21 providing a sufficient slack of the towel web so that the user can draw it out to a convenient wiping position. As the roll 22 is raised the web between it and the roll 15 will obviously become slack as the dis tance between the rolls decreased, but the tension device 16'wil1 prevent the web from sliding backwardlyover the roll 15 and when the user releaseshis grasp on the web the weight 22 will drop by gravity anddraw the towel web back into the cabinet where the soiled portion will be inconspicuous and be drawn toa practically invisible position when the web is again pulled to obtainanother supply of the towel. .A partition 10 separates the clean and soiledwebs and prevents contact between them and the possible containination or infection of the clean web. This is extremely important in cabinets of this type where a long web is provided to keep the cabinet supplied for several days and where it is used indiscriminately by many persons.

V hen the clean web is exhausted the attendant may open the door, remove the soiled casing being adaptedto receive a supply of clean towel when said door is open, a partition arranged within said casing having a lower substantially horizontal portion extend forwardly to a point near said door and having a vertically extending rear portion that is space'dfrom the rear wall of said casing, the space above thehorizontal portion of said partition forming a chamber for the soiled towel and being separated from. the

clean towel supply by said partition, a feed roll in the upper portion of said cabinet adjacent the vertical portion of said partltlon and over which the web of clean'towel is stretched from saidclean towel supply, a take up roll arranged below said feed roll in front of said partition and having a driving connection w th said feed rolls to be operated in a reverse direct on, a roll mounted to move vertically in guides within said soiled towel chamber and under which the web of soiled towel is stretched to said take up roll, said roll operating to drawthe web of clean towel stantially horizontal portion extending forwardly to a point near said door and having a vertically extending rear portion that 1s spaced from the rear wall of said casing, the

space above the horizontal portion of said partition forming a chamber for the soiled towel and being 'separated'from the clean towel supply by said partition, a feed roll in the upper portion of said cabinet adjacent the vertical portion of said partition and ov er which the web of clean towel is stretched from said clean towel supply, a take up roll arranged below said feedrollin front of said partition and having a driving connection with said feed roll to be operated in a reverse direction, a roll having a spindle mounted to slide vertically in slots in the side walls of said casing in front of saidtake up roll'and under which sliding roll the web. of clean towel is stretched to said take up roll, and said sliding roll being adapted to draw the soiled portion of the towel web within the cabinet when it is released by the user.

5. towel cabinet comprising aicasing having an opening in its front wall through which access may be had to the clean towel web, a partitionarranged witliinsaid casing extending from the front thereof baekwardly in substantially a horizontal direction and thence upwardly in a substantially vertical direction to a point near the top of the casing, the space within said cabinet below said partition being adapted to receive the ice clean towel supply, a feed delivery roll having a roughened surface mo-unted in the upper portion of said casing, sa d partition being'spaced' from the rear wall of the cabinet and having an opening therein tojallow the stretchingof the clean web fromthe towel supply to said feed deliveryroll, a

take up roll mounted in front of said partition and adjacent thereto and having a driving connection with said feed delivery roll for revolution in the opposite direction, the web of clean towel being adapted to be stretched from said delivery roll downwardly and forwardly in the rear of said opening and thence to said take up roll, the horizontal portion of said partition forming a support for the web of soiled towel and means for contacting with the towel I web adjacent said feed delivery roll and said take up roll for stretching and smoothing the same and preventing undesirable or premature movement of the towel web over said rolls..

4. A towel cabinet comprising a casing having a door in the front thereof and an opening through which access may be had to the web of clean towel, the bottom of said casing being adapted to receive a supply of clean towel, a partition arranged within said casing hav ing a lower substantially horizontal portion extending forwardly to the front of the cabinet and a vertically extending rear portion that is spaced from the rear Wall of the easing, the horizontal portion of said partition forming a support for the used or soiled por tion of the towel, a feed roll in the upper portion of said cabinet over which the web of clean towel is stretched from said clean towel supply, a take up roll arranged below said feed roll above the soiled towel support and having a driving connection with said feed roll for operation in a reverse direction, means mounted within said casing above the support for the soiled towel and having a vertical movement and under which means the web of towel may be stretched to said take up roll and from thence to the horizontal portion of said partition, said vertically moving means operating to draw the used portion'of the towel within the casing and smooth and straighten it before delivery to said take up roll and a tension device on the takcup roll arranged to prevent backward pulling of the towel by said means.

5. A towel cabinet comprising a permanently closed back and having a permanent opening in its upper front portion and a hinged door at its lower front portion, a partition in the cabinet extending from near its top downwardly and then horizontally approximately to said door, the bottom of said partition with the bottom of the cabinet forming a chamber open at its front when said door is opened and adapted to receive from the front a supply of clean toweling in said chamber, the upwardly extending portion of the partition together with the back of the casing forming a passageway for the toweling to approximately the top of the casing, a delivery roll above the partition over which the toweling is adapted to extend, and a tension device pivoted in the rear of the delivery roll and resting on the towel passed over the delivery roll, a tension roll below the top of the door and over which the toweling passes, a second delivery roll above and to the rear of said tension roll and over which the toweling is adapted to pass and may be delivered to the horizontal portion of the partition whereby, when said door is opened, both the chain'- ber to receive the clean towel and the space above the horizontal portion of the partition are open and accessible to load the cabinet and when said door is closed said chamber and space above the horizontal portion of the partition are hidden and'the towel extends from the upper delivery roll to the tension roll atthe rear of the opening in the cabinet and accessible to the user through said opening.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of November, 1927. V FRANK M. STEINER. 

